From the September-December 2011 Issue
THE JOY OF THE HARVEST - Romania
Sandor and Napsugar Kelemen
Why do we serve the Lord? To glorify our Redeemer God’s name. How do we bring glory to His name? If in obedience we fulfil His plans for what we are created. And we are called to bear much fruit that will last because our Lord Jesus said: “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last” (John 15:16).
Missionary work in the Bible is compared to a farmer’s work. We sow and we reap the fruit of our labour. Although at the time of writing (end of winter beginning of spring) the harvest is far away in our geographical area, yet by the Lord’s grace in our life we have experienced much joy at this time over the tokens of His blessing. I must mention among these the birth of our second child, Jared. He arrived on 20th January this year. Since then our joy has increased and we can testify again that “the fruit of the womb is a reward”(NASB Psalm 127:3b).
Baptisms
It is said that ‘winter is the summer of the soul’ and so we have experienced it. On 16th January we had a baptismal service here in Targu Mures. A young man and an older one, were baptised. It is not a great number of people baptised, but still it was a great source of joy for our church, even more so because it was the first time for me to baptise here in Targu Mures. A good number of people came. We were over 200 and we expected that as a result more would come to know the Lord and join our church. Our prayers were answered and two young ladies, both university students here, expressed their desire to be baptised and join our church. One had been converted for over two years and already joined the children’s work in Idrifaia. The other one came to know the Lord at the end of last year. So we are preparing for another baptismal service later in the year. It is not easy to take this symbol of death and resurrection with Christ. Non-Christian people here can tolerate it if someone takes more seriously “religious things”, or if they go to a “different church”, but to be baptised is something of a scandal from their point of view. Therefore it is not easy for these students. One is really having serious problems because of her decision.
Further fruit
In February and the beginning of March we had evangelistic meetings in Iernut, Idrifaia and Targu Mures. The number of people attending varied, but we felt something of the Lord’s powerful presence, especially in Idrifaia and Targu Mures. In Idrifaia there is a woman who came to know the Lord last year and wants to be baptised. Her husband came to these meetings this year and by the Lord’s grace he expressed his desire to follow the Lord Jesus. A young lady did so also. We pray that their conversion may be complete and true. Although it was not expressed, we know that the Lord is also working in some other people’s lives here in Targu Mures. We pray that the icy empire of sin and self will break and the true Light of the world will warm their hearts to Christ.
Thanks be to God that He lets us take part in His harvest time, even if the sower and the reaper are often different. It means a lot for the servant of the gospel to see some fruit beside many challenges, disappointments and trials in the work. “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6). Our hope and prayer is that this will only be a palm-size cloud of blessing, before the shower of grace that will bring more fruit for the glory of our great Saviour.